


Awakening

by Digitalwave



Series: When You Are Real [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Other, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-02-23 14:39:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2551247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Digitalwave/pseuds/Digitalwave
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He didn't know, was he man or monster?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The characters in this work remain the property of themselves and their related production companies. None of the pretties belong to me, I'm only borrowing them.

It took the Asset, him, it took him, two days before he finally identified the hollow feeling he had inside as hunger. His functioning, his needs, had not been a part of his programming for a very long time.

The Asset, no, James, his name was James, shook his head. No, not his programming. As he woke up from the machine, from the drugs they fed him daily, his brain continued to come more online. He hadn't been a person for almost seventy years. It was hard for him to think of himself as more than just a tool.

The water he drank at the fountain inside the park he slept in last night only slaked his thirst, it did nothing to assuage the gnawing feeling originating from his gut. James reached out, placed a trembling hand upon the retaining wall next to him. He realized he had to find fuel, no, food, he had to find food, if he wanted to continue.

Even through the lingering numbness that coated his mind he was shocked to realize that he did want to continue. He wanted to see his mission, no, he wanted to see Steve, again. Chaos may coat his thoughts but even through the fog some small part recognized Rogers as a safe haven.

James dug the crumpled bills out of his pocket, used half remembered persona skills of old to not frighten the 'normals' around him, used them to purchase two hotdogs and a drink from an old man's vendor cart. He found a darkened corner bench to eat his food, forced himself to eat slowly so his stomach wouldn't rebel more than it already was.

He knew he had a decision to make, was he man or the monster they'd created? Right now he wasn't either, right now he was just a shell wanting to be filled. Be it with light or darkness, only time, and half remembered memories of a skinny kid named Steve, would tell.


End file.
